Diets rich in vegetables, nuts, fruits and fish keep heart healthy

Toronto, April 15 (IANS) Diets high in vegetables and nuts, or rich in fruit, vegetables and fish were associated with a lower risk for heart disease than those that rely on foods with a high glycemic index. High glycemic index food includes rice, pasta and refined carbohydrates like white bread, and foods high in trans-fatty acids including fried foods, baked goods and snacks.

The study, which reviewed 50 years of research, was the work of scientists from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. It was co-authored by Andrew Mente of the Population Health Research Institute.

Mente and colleagues wrote that despite the wealth of literature on the subject, nobody had yet done a systematic review of the strength of the evidence from studies examining links between various diets and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

For their review they did a systematic search of published literature in the MEDLINE database, and picked out nearly 150 prospective cohort studies and over 40 randomized trials that investigated links between different diets and coronary heart disease, said a McMaster release.

The study was published online in the Monday issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.